How is your blood sugar?

Do you know what your blood sugar is right now? Have you had you blood checked
lately? Diabetes and its counterpart low-blood sugar are getting more and more
common in western countries. Many processed foods have sugar added for taste.
Also, weight issues are a problem. Being aware of your sugar count in your blood
is an important practice.

You should be aware of your blood count, especially if you have diabetes and/or low
blood sugar in your family tree. If a relative has had type 1 diabetes from youth or if
a parent developed type 2 diabetes thru poor health and poor eating, be concerned.
Perhaps you have felt the effects of low blood sugar at various periods of your life.
You start to feel weak and shaky. Then you should eat some protein quick and that will
help.

Get your blood sugar checked 2 times a year if possible. Perhaps a local grocery store
would offer this service. It only takes a minute and won’t cost much ($50?). The “sweet
spot” is a reading of 70-110. If you keep track of your blood sugar, then you can catch it
before it gets out of control. If you count gets around 400 or so, you could go into a diabetic
coma. A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Eating good food and getting plenty of exercise will keep diabetes out of your life. If you quit
eating sugar, that should be a major help in keeping your weight under control. Being overweight
is courting high blood sugar, do your best to keep your weight down! Healthy supplements can
be a benefit also.

Both high and low blood sugar are diabetic-like symptoms and indicate that the pancreas
is stressed—not good. Do whatever necessary to keep a healthy blood count. Whether it
is exercise, a vegetarian diet or reducing sugar intake, do something positive.

Losing weight can be a difficult task even if an individual is on a good diet. This is especially so if a person is on a western diet which mostly comprises of meat, carbohydrates like pasta, bread, pastries among other meals. For this reason, many people are turning to a vegetarian diet to be able to see the effects of weight loss fast and also to be healthier. This article therefore discusses on some of the benefits of having a vegetarian plan.

Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Before examining the benefits, it is good that you understand what a vegetarian diet entails. First, this is a diet that is composed mostly of food from plants. The plant substances will therefore be high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats.

A vegetarian diet helps to control cholesterol. As mentioned earlier, a vegetarian diet is high in minerals, vitamins and healthy fats. This means you will be reducing your consumption of cholesterol which is usually higher in a non vegetarian diet. With low cholesterol level you will reduce your chance of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

There is also a lower risk of getting cancer when on a vegetarian diet. Other than genetic predisposition, what causes a majority of the cancer cases is food you regularly consume. If you eat many processed foods, your health will suffer. If you eat a lot of meat, especially beef and pork, you will have a greater risk of cancer. Therefore with a vegetarian diet, you will be consuming more fresh fruits, whole meal grains, vegetables and feel more vital.

Another advantage of a vegetarian diet is that it greatly aids in digestion. Most people normally get constipation or bowel problems because of poor digestion due to lack of roughage and fiber in their diet. But with a vegetarian diet, this problem is a thing of the past. This is because most of the meals one will be consuming will be high in fiber and roughage and these substances are crucial in having a proper digestion. Also the fiber contained in the vegetables and fruits do contain fat burning elements that also aid in weight loss.

A vegetarian diet also helps protect you against diseases. Vitamins are found mostly in fruits and vegetables. These vitamins are the ones which aid in building immunity in a person and with a strong immunity; the individual’s body will be able to fight diseases. Also, fruits and vegetables do contain antioxidants which provide immunity against certain diseases.

There is hormonal balance when on a vegetarian diet. Most people are exposed to hormonal imbalance especially when they eat a lot of canned meat or meat in general. This is because animals these days are being fed with hormones so that they can grow faster and have more meat on them. Chemicals are also added on such meat especially if it is going to be canned in order to increase its shelf life. Consumption of such meat can lead to disruption of normal hormonal balance in a person.

In conclusion, eating healthy is crucial to maintaining a healthy life. Therefore individuals ought to start on a good diet to ensure that they are free from diseases and are leading healthy lives. With a vegetarian diet, this can be achieved. But one must ensure to put more thought on his meal plan to ensure that it is balanced.